GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced Thursday receipts of more than $18 million during the third quarter of the year — a total that includes an $8.5 million loan from the candidate.

Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani reported raising $10.5 million in the third quarter. The former New York City mayor took in another $500,000 that can be spent if he becomes his party's nominee for the 2008 election.

And Arizona Sen. John McCain released his third-quarter total: $6 million. That was more than expected, given the campaign's financial troubles earlier this year that led to massive staff cuts and predictions McCain would drop out of the race.

The other top-tier Republican candidate, former U.S. senator and actor Fred Thompson, has already reported raising $8 million since his recent entry into the race for the White House.

Ron Paul raised $5 million in the third quarter.

Right now, the Romney campaign has $9 million on hand. Giuliani has $16 million and McCain has $3.6 million. Paul has $5.3 million on hand. Romney is spending heavily on television advertising in the early voting states, particularly Iowa and New Hampshire.

Romney is leading in Iowa and New Hampshire but lags in national polls, something his campaign hopes to remedy by extending the advertising program.

Name recognition is not a problem for Romney in Utah. He headed the successful 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like the majority of Utahns.

Utah has been an important source of funds for Romney, with Utahns contributing nearly $4 million of the $44 million he'd reported by midyear.

So far this year, Romney has collected $62 million toward his White House run. Romney, whose personal worth is estimated at as much as $350 million, has loaned his campaign a total of $17 million.

Romney has not yet released how much was raised in Utah between July 1 and Sept. 30. Last Friday, he was in the state for a pair of fund-raising events in St. George and Salt Lake City that reportedly raised at least $200,000.

His campaign said Thursday that more than 100,000 people have donated so far this year, including 23,000 new donors in the third quarter alone. Romney's contributions have come from all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Unlike some of the other campaigns, Romney is only raising money for the primary election. Details of all the presidential candidates' donations and expenditures are due to the Federal Election Commission by Oct. 15.

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